Tasherit
Also known as Miss Sekhmet, Tasherit is a werelioness who Rue first meets at the Maltese Tower. Appearance Tasherit wears two charms around her neck: which Rue believes are a sword and shield. She smells of amber and is unbelievably beautiful. She has long thick dark brown hair and tan golden brown skin. She is tall but curvy and muscled, statuesque. She is always powerful and Amazonian no matter which form she takes. She favors red military style jackets and long skirts when dressing in the English style, otherwise she wears long flowing silk robes. Personality Tash is very cat like. She enjoys getting her own way, too much, likes to go where not wanted, chase where not welcome, and generally make a nuisance of herself. She is also quick to give her affection and kind to youngsters and playful. She can also be quite arrogant and demanding. History Very mysterious. Not much is known about her history. She had been a member of the pride: Lost Pride of the Desert Wind. All that is known is that she was asked to leave and is not welcome back. She seems to have had some sort of relationship with the pride's leader. In Reticence it is revealed that she knows Lord Akeldama and knew him when he still went by Alexander. It is never clearly said but heavily implied that the a) the two of them had a relationship with the first Tarabotti and that Zenobia was their daughter or b) Tasherit knew the werecat who had the child and was vested with giving her charms (which together make an ankh) to Lord Akeldama after she died. In the books ''Prudence Tasherit first approaches Prudence Akeldama while the Spotted Custard is docked at the Maltese Tower. She is in her lioness form at the time, and steals Rue's parasol. When Rue catches up with her, Tasherit has transformed back to a beautiful woman. Rue mistakes her for one of the parties interested in the tea deal Lord Akeldama has sent Rue to broker. Nor does she immediately connect the lioness with the woman. Tasherit warns Prudence against going to India, which Prudence does not heed. Tasherit meets back up with the Spotted Custard in India, where she is captured boarding the dirigible by Spoo and Virgil. Again, Rue mistakes Tasherit as an interested party in the tea deal and agrees to meet with her representative at a garden party that evening. It isn't until much later that Rue learns that Tasherit is there as a representative of the Vanaras, but at that point there's been so much miscommunication that the Vanaras believes Rue has not even wanted to speak with them. Tasherit helps lead Rue to the Vanaras. She then stays onboard the Spotted Custard. 'Imprudence' Tasherit is guarding the Spotted Custard at the beginning of ''Imprudence. She has trained the decklings into a wonderful defensive force and proves to be invaluable to the ship, which is why Rue offers her the position of First Mate. She comes along on the adventure to deliver Lord and Lady Maccon to Egypt, all the while flustering Primrose any chance she gets. However, when suspicion that Percy may have alerted the world to the presence of werecats arise, she is rightfully upset. Rue offers to take Tasherit to her pride to warn the others that their existence may be in danger. Trivia * Can be outside in daylight, but is very weak. * Tasherit had been asked to leave her pride and is not welcome back. * Tash carries a Rifle in Competence, it is a Swedish Mouser (probably a m/1896 Long Rifle). Since the book takes place early in 1896, Percy notices she would have had to somehow acquired a pre-release model. * Tasherit calls Rue "skin-stalker." * Tasherit called Percy "Fire-hair." * Tasherit has said she's met a soulless before, but doesn't explain further.Prudence, Chapter Eleven. Links * Pinterest Character Board for Tasherit. Quotes * "The animal in question was a sleek, beautiful creature, all golden fur and rippling muscles, but apparently intent on wrecking carnage and not on ordering tea. Whatever was going on in that furry head, the cat clearly did not appreciate teahouses." Prudence, Chapter Six * "Then out of the shadows and through a curtain of wooden beads walked the most unbelievably beautiful woman Rue had ever seen." Prudence, Chapter Six * "This woman's skin was a dark tea colour, her eyes huge and almond-shaped. Her cheekbones were high enough to etch glass and her neck was long and impossibly graceful. Her nose might be a tad assertive by British standards, straight and dominant, and her lips, though full and well-shaped, were set firm." Prudence, Chapter Six * "Miss Sekhmet stopped trying to remove the parasitical small persons after finding them quite tenacious. She wrapped herself in dignity and sat there, talking to Rue as though there were nothing amiss and she commonly found herself on the deck of a ladybug-shaped airship with younglings tenanting her person." Prudence, Chapter Seven * "Rue warmed to Sekhmet even more. Not only had she discombobulated Prim, but Quesnel was red-faced and stuttering. None of his charm had any effect on the goddes-like female. Miss Sekhmet was merly glaring at him as if he were some unpleasant bug, and rewrapping her head with the white cloth to hide her face." Prudence, Chapter Nine * “The monkeys, she explained, were considered reincarnated politicians, which made Rue laugh and the stick entirely understandable.” Prudence, Chapter Nine * “All of the Custard’s youngsters were fond of Miss Sekhmet. Partly because when she was in lioness form, she let them ride her like a shipboard pony and partly because she was one of the few adults on the dirigible who held no immediate connection to, or official title within, the aristocracy.” Imprudence, Chapter Two * “Arguing with that woman is like fighting a blancmange. Press too lightly and she only wobbles, press too hard and you get engulfed into her squishy mindset.” Imprudence, Chapter Nine * “She goes mad, like the wolves?’ ‘Tasherit? Yes, but in a crazy cat way. She runs about with her tail all fluffed up chasing invisible prey, stops suddenly, and claws violently at whatever is nearest.” Imprudence, Chapter Ten * “Miss Sekhmet is proud of her state, for all she keeps it secret. I believe, when she was metamorphosed, it was a noble calling. Or it’s simply that cats are intrinsically snobbish.” Imprudence, Chapter Ten * “Catlike in protection of her territory and her people, Miss Sekhmet adored official sanction for cause maximum bloodshed.” Imprudence, Chapter Eleven * “Lacking cat form, Miss Sekhmet used language to eviscerate instead.” Imprudence, Chapter Twelve * “Even lounging in a chair, she seemed to loom, vibrating like an ill-struck chord.” Imprudence, Chapter Twelve * "It was no kiss, not as Percy had experienced or witnessed before, that's certain. No, it was more of a hug, except that Tasherit crushed her cheek to Prim's. Rubbed softly. A melting of bodies and need. Catlike." (Competence, Chapter Five) * "Tasherit Sekhmet came to sit on the edge of his pit-half in and half out. It was much in the manner of Footnote, always lurking at the threshold of doorways, unwilling to commit to staying in or heading out. Cats like to occupy liminal spaces: both inside and outside, both tame and wild, both yawn and meow." (Competence, Chapter Nine) References Category:Characters Category:Custard Protocol Characters Category:Parasolverse Characters Category:LGBT character